Gene Tierney

Birth Name: Gene Eliza Tierney

Date of Birth: November 19, 1920

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: November 6, 1991

Place of Death: Houston, Texas, U.S.

Ethnicity: Irish, English, Dutch, at least one eighth Sephardi Jewish

Gene Tierney was an American film and stage actress. She is known for her roles in the films Laura, Heaven Can Wait, Leave Her to Heaven, The Razor’s Edge, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Whirlpool, The Mating Season, and The Left Hand of God.

Gene was the daughter of Belle Lavinia (Taylor) and Howard Sherwood Tierney. She was raised in Westport, Connecticut. Gene was married to oil baron W. Howard Lee, until his death. She had two children with her former husband, fashion designer Oleg Cassini.

Gene’s paternal grandfather was John Henry Tierney (the son of John Tierney and Harriet Sherwood). Gene’s grandfather John was born in New York.

Gene’s paternal grandmother was Harriet Eleanor “Ella” Fox (the daughter of John Albert Fox and Sarah Ann Hendrickson). Harriet was born in New York. John was the son of John J. Fox and Hannah E. Sarah was the daughter of William Ludlum/Ludlam Hendrickson and Mary/Maria Bennet/Bennett.

Gene’s maternal grandfather was Clarence Warren Taylor (the son of Alfred Warren Taylor and Lavina/Lavinia/Levinia Henriques). Clarence was born in New York. Alfred was born in Massachusetts. Lavina was born in New York, the daughter of Sephardi Jewish parents, Moses Henriques, who was born in England, and Sarah Nunes, who was born in Jamaica.

Gene’s maternal grandmother was Carrie Belle/Bella Hollingshead (the daughter of William Bell/Mapp Hollingshead and Henrietta Manning). Carrie was born in New York. William was the son of Charles G. Hollingshead and Ann Pratt, and was English. Henrietta was the daughter of Alfred Manning and Henrietta Lee.

Sources: Genealogy of Gene Tierney – https://www.geni.com

Gene’s maternal grandfather, Clarence Warren Taylor, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Gene’s maternal grandfather, Clarence Warren Taylor – https://www.familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

12 Responses

  1. passingtime85 says:

    Correction.

    Shouldn’t her profile say she’s 1/8th Sephardic, instead of just the “some” moniker? Other profiles usually mention that much heritage in terms of fractions, at least when the percentage is that high.

    • follers says:

      Still working on her great-grandfather Alfred Warren Taylor’s background. At least one of Alfred and Lavina’s children married a Jewish spouse, so it’s possible that Alfred was Jewish, too.

      In fact, the Jewish spouse’s mother’s maiden name was Henriques, too.

      • ashash says:

        I knew she was too beautiful to just be Irish/English. She is probably 1/4 Jewish.

        • Alice says:

          She could perfectly be Irish or English. In fact that’s what most of her ancestry is.

          • Preservationist says:

            In truth she’s very little Irish. Only the Tierney line carried through paternally.

        • Preservationist says:

          She’s one eighth Jewish. “just English”?? Too beautiful to be? What the hell ashash?? Look up Julia Princep (199% English). She was the most beautiful woman in the 19th century by most standards.

          What you write is the very height of ignorance.

    • andrewcoe says:

      She is also Dutch through her grandmother Harriet Eleanor (Ella) Fox. Ella’s mother is Sarah Ann Hendrickson, and through that line you find a mix of English and Dutch, with names like Nostrand, Wyckoff, Voorhees, and Stoothoff.

  2. Alice says:

    Gene Tierney is one of the most beautiful actresses ever.

    http://genetierneymoviepage.blogspot.com.au/

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